Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I wrote my first book while still working and was inspired by the backstabbing atmosphere between women and our sacrifices for that pleasure. What clinched it for me when I walked into the ladies room and a young woman was pumping her breasts. At that point in my life, I had just begun have a work career having been lucky enough to stay home to raise my children. My youngest was in elementary school. I was appalled at the almost nonexistent maternity leave in this country, which is far behind the rest of the technologically advanced counties. Walking with Elephants explores the dichotomy of a workplace filled with childless women who will do anything to get ahead and the women with family constraints and our off-kilter reward system. I use a working mother to explore these inadequacies in our county to meet the needs of families while supporting the advancement of women. Elephants are a matriarchal society, hence the title, and the MC posits a move to a matriarchy for our society in an essay written at the close of the book. I just posted the audible book of this work, narrated by me. This book, my debut, was first publishes by a small independent publisher who subsequently went out of business when her husband took ill. She gave me all the files and I took over as publisher. It went on to win the Awesome Indies Seal of Excellence and was a top-five finalist in the New Kindle Book Review’s Best Indie Books of 2012.
My second book Sunspots explores the grief of losing a spouse after just two years of marriage. And also that for some women marriage can swallow their entire identity and so they must rediscover who they are after such a loss. It was given the IndePENdants.org seal of good writing. The book was a catharsis of sorts for me having lost my first husband when just a young woman with small children. The book’s message is that one can, through the grieving process and the will to go on, find a life of happiness, as it did for me in my real life. I self-published after not being able to attract an agent or publisher.
My local newspaper the Florida Times Union reviewed both books:
http://jacksonville.com/entertainment/2013-07-13/story/book-review-sunspots-karen-s-bell#
http://jacksonville.com/entertainment/literature/2011-03-13/story/book-review-karen-s-bell-fills-walking-elephants-charm
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest self-published work is titled, When a Stranger Comes… It was released September 13, 2017 after numerous rejections. In my work, I try to tackle social issues of which we all can relate. In this work, I explore the pervasive greed in our modern society and the decay of social norms and morals.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When I am deep into the creative process, entire sentences come to me out of nowhere and not when I’m in front of my computer. Add ons to sentences, paragraphs and character traits spring from who knows where into my head. Sometimes they tell me their names that way. Sometimes when I’m writing my characters show me the direction the story should go by having a scene I hadn’t contemplated pop into my head. “Oh, Ok, I say, that could work.” And so I give in to the muse. Who am I to turn my back on gifts from the cosmos.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Jodie Picoult because she delves very deeply into social issues to form her narrative. The issues being more important than the story. I like Alice Hoffman because she weaves supernatural elements into her narrative, as do I. I try every now and then to pick up a classic to read to sharpen my use of language as an art form. I enjoy elevating my writing with style and cadence and being humbled by the greats in literature. Melville, Austin, Proust, Dostoyevky, Hardy.
What are you working on now?
I’m ruminating on a book about a bed and breakfast that will dance around a relationship between two step siblings heretofore unknown to each other before they inherit a B&B. The female is Jewish, the male Christian. The Barnstable and Bernstein B&B is the working title. Lots of meat there with stereotypes etc. My husband is Christian and I’m Jewish so lots to mine there.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
You know, in the good ole days you could run a 99 cent book promo and sell tons of books. You could have a free book promotion and thousands would be downloaded. I think there is great fatigue out there among the readership. So many promo sites sending emails. Bombarding inboxes so that what worked a few years ago is only producing weak returns. I advertised on BookBub–not a deal but an ad. Nothing. And a deal is so expensive and my book is KDP. I thing BookBub likes lots of venues. But I might try and apply if I think I could get my $500 or so back in sales. Ads on Amazon, I find are also very weak. In the indie-world what sells is erotica, fantasy, zombies. Can’t write that stuff.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I always say, “Don’t quit your day job.” I’m retired and someone else covers my overhead. I thought I was embarking on a second career, but it’s more of a hobby. I hate the pressure of coming up with marketing strategies if you’r self-published. And there’s plenty of sharks out there that offer high-priced classes to teach you how to become a best seller. Word-of mouth that magical phrase is what I keep hoping for. Readers have absolutely loved my books but they don’t tell anyone. Too many books out there. But I love the writing process. And that’s really the whole point. And I keep hoping , maybe my nest book will entice a good agent. hope springs eternal.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be true to yourself. Albert Einstein once said “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” I choose to believe everything is a miracle.
What are you reading now?
The Elena Ferrante saga
What’s next for you as a writer?
Death haha. I’m 70 years old.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
How to Survive on a Desert Island. That’s it.
Author Websites and Profiles
Karen Bell Website
Karen Bell Amazon Profile
Karen Bell’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account